Primary Care Track
At Mary Washington Healthcare, we are proud to offer a dedicated Primary Care Track within our Internal Medicine Residency Program, designed to equip residents with the skills and clinical exposure necessary for a successful career in outpatient medicine.
This track is led by Anne Wagstaff, MD, a passionate advocate for primary care training. Dr. Wagstaff completed her medical education and internal medicine residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she pursued both the Primary Care Track and the Women’s Health Track—experience she brings directly into her mentorship and supervision of our residents.
The Mary Washington Healthcare Primary Care Track is ideal for residents pursuing careers in outpatient internal medicine, women’s health, or ambulatory subspecialties. This track ensures that graduates are clinically competent, procedurally capable, and confident in managing complex outpatient cases. The small cohort size allows for personalized mentorship and hands-on experience under the guidance of Dr. Anne Wagstaff and our dedicated faculty.
Program Overview
The Primary Care Track is available to PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents and is specifically designed to offer a broader and more focused outpatient experience. This track meets and exceeds ACGME’s 10-month outpatient training requirement by incorporating a mix of outpatient subspecialty exposure, continuity care, private practice rotations, and procedural skill development.
Each spring, we select two PGY-1 residents to enter the Primary Care Track at the start of their second year. This allows interns time to explore clinical interests before committing to the enhanced ambulatory curriculum.
Clinical Curriculum
Residents accepted into the track follow a 6+2 block schedule. They maintain a continuity clinic at Mary Washington Internal Medicine and rotate through various outpatient subspecialties and private practice settings.
Outpatient Focused Curriculum
PGY-2 Year:
- 2 weeks of outpatient cardiology
- 2 weeks of primary care in local private practices
- 2 weeks of outpatient neurology
- 2 weeks of addiction medicine
- 4-6 weeks of additional outpatient electives
PGY-3 Year:
- 4 weeks of primary care in local private practices
- 2 weeks of Geriatrics
- Up to 6 weeks of additional outpatient electives
Elective Options:
- Dermatology
- ENT
- Wound Care
- Pulmonology
- Allergy
- Neurology
- Urology
- Orthopedics/Sports Medicine
- Cardiology
Procedural and POCUS Training
The Primary Care Track emphasizes hands-on experience with common office-based procedures and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) skills relevant to ambulatory practice.
Procedures:
- Pap smear
- Wet prep / KOH prep
- Cerumen removal
- Incision and drainage (I&D) of abscess
- Punch or shave biopsy
- Cryotherapy for benign skin lesions
- Intra-articular knee or shoulder injection
- Simple laceration repair
- EKG interpretation
POCUS Skills:
- Cardiac: Assess ejection fraction, rule out pericardial effusion
- Pulmonary: Identify pleural effusion and B-lines
- Abdominal: Detect ascites, perform bladder scanning
- Musculoskeletal: Learn the basics of ultrasound in joint injections
- Vascular: Learn how to assess for DVT